Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Who's never played through a real SVT ?
- Thread starter sedan_dad
- Start date
In my last post I said that I tried a SVT-IIpro and liked it, I would actually consider buying one but am frightened by the reviews of it at Harmony Central, half of them said it was unreliable.
I had one that I was told was made in Linden, NJ in 1969. It really was tone to die for. There is nothing like it for bass....never has been and never will be. Wish I still had it. Long story... The pic is from 1988. )-(
I've used nothing else since 1975 unless I was forced to in situations like back lines everyone had to use, that sort of thing, and nothing I've ever used has come close to the sound of a real SVT although certain amps have sounded pretty good, GK are pretty good sounding for SS amps. Most people that don't like them have never owned one for any length of time with exceptions of course and then it's usually the weight that gets to them.
Yes, two cabs is bass heaven, makes a huge difference, I've played through two heads and two cabs before at outside gigs, and use one head with two cabs at big clubs and concerts, it is the voice of God as someone else here wrote.
SVT's stopped being made for the most part in 1979, Japanese ones skimped on parts like the trannys and skunkworks heads which were actually SVT-HD's were no comparison, I bought a brand new one and owned it for about 8 years along with two 70's heads. The last SVT was made in Japan in 1984.
I had an early 6550 blueline head for many years and the later 70's heads sound just as good to me.
i havent. only ampeg experience i have was a 210 combo. didnt like the eq tonebending, so i went with a gk
I know, but I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings by saying what superior amps you and I have. I have to say, though, that I used a rented MTI SVT tonight on my gig and it sounded wonderful. MTI gets a bad rap, but it's actually a great SVT.
i was playing at a local music store, through my first REAL svt, and one of the power tubes blew.
the idiot salesman tried to make me buy it, but the owner knew they were older tubes and was smart enough to fix it himself and raise the price a hundred bucks for all the new tubes.
the idiot salesman tried to make me buy it, but the owner knew they were older tubes and was smart enough to fix it himself and raise the price a hundred bucks for all the new tubes.
I once did an opener gig for a popular regional band and they wanted us to use their backline. The SVT they had looked pretty worn and battle scarred and I figured it was original. The bass player had all the tone controls duct-taped and when I plugged in I was very dissapointed with his tone settings. I was playing a modulus 6 at the time and really needed at those treble and bass knobs. Alas, no dice. very un-satisfying experience as I could tell it was a fixable problem and I could feel the possibilities. I never wished for a P-bass more in my life. I did however have a chance to record through an original flip top style at a studio in New York, SSSWWWEEETTTT!!! The Ampeg tone is not really my sound but if I had the $ I certainly would have a few models in my arsenal for those special occasions.
Hey V-Type brother!
I hear you. As I posted earlier in this thread, I played just last weekend at a gig with another band who let me use their bassist's early '70s SVT->8x10" all tube beast. It was possibly the best sounding stand-alone rig I have ever played through in many respects. Especially the midrange and low-mid voice - I played a 2-hour set at a high volume, and it was immensly satisfying. The tube power has a quality that has to be experienced in order to understand.
However - my main rig begins with a pre-Gibson, Trace Elliott V-type pre-amp (with the 2x 12AX7s) into a DBX266XL compressor, then into a Stewart 1000watt 2-ch power amp (whatever cabinets you use will sound about as good as they can). I love the tone of the V-Type so much that I'm not really too upset about going back to it after playing that SVT. The V-Type preamp is a real gem, and lets me dial up tones that can hang with some of the best. I would like to pair it up with a tube power amp someday.
+1000, I was fortunate enough to have one in my possession for a time back in the day. Best tone I've ever had, before or since. Transporting that beast though, was a monumental headache. My Acoustic 360 was easy by comparison.
I saw Jeff Berlin play with Bill Bruford in Atlanta in 1978. He was playing through an SVT with 2 cabs. It was heavy brother......pretty smokin' rhythm section I'd say. That SVT was loud, lots of creamy bottom end and a nice farty mid range.
I had the total Ampeg SVT package back in '69. One head and two cabs running my Rickenbacker 4005 hollow body, a '61 stacked knob Jazz, and a Gibson Les Paul (the one with the low impedence pups and that goofy impedence changing proprietary cable).
This was back in the days of no FOH, vocals only in the P.A. and the drums were never mic'd up. The real Deal days of Rock and Roll, played loud indoors and even louder outdoors.
I had that rig for about 11 months and during that time frame the tube head was stellar, the speakers on the other hand were a Royal Pita. It got to the point where we would tell Ampeg I blew another speaker and they would send us four, just in case, and I probably went through a minimum of 40 replacement speakers in those 11 months. CTS as I recall were the stock speaker choice back then.
In the end I dumped the Ampeg SVT and replaced it with an Acoustic 360 Pre/Head and a pair of powered 18's. I also dumped the Gibson Les Paul in the trade, got a second Rickenbacker, 4001 in Maple-Glo, and started running the Ric's in stereo through the Acoustics for the neck pups and a Marshall Major with a slant cab 4x12 for the bridge pups.
Never looked back until many years later, and never blew any more speakers either.
That was my main rig through most of the 70's until I went nuts and got a Malatchi console/preamplifier running through X-overs and multiple MacIntosh tube amps running four Sunn 2000 2x15 cabs and three Bag End 2x12 cabs. But that is another thread and story in itself.
Cheers,
Mr. BEAR
This was back in the days of no FOH, vocals only in the P.A. and the drums were never mic'd up. The real Deal days of Rock and Roll, played loud indoors and even louder outdoors.
I had that rig for about 11 months and during that time frame the tube head was stellar, the speakers on the other hand were a Royal Pita. It got to the point where we would tell Ampeg I blew another speaker and they would send us four, just in case, and I probably went through a minimum of 40 replacement speakers in those 11 months. CTS as I recall were the stock speaker choice back then.
In the end I dumped the Ampeg SVT and replaced it with an Acoustic 360 Pre/Head and a pair of powered 18's. I also dumped the Gibson Les Paul in the trade, got a second Rickenbacker, 4001 in Maple-Glo, and started running the Ric's in stereo through the Acoustics for the neck pups and a Marshall Major with a slant cab 4x12 for the bridge pups.
Never looked back until many years later, and never blew any more speakers either.
That was my main rig through most of the 70's until I went nuts and got a Malatchi console/preamplifier running through X-overs and multiple MacIntosh tube amps running four Sunn 2000 2x15 cabs and three Bag End 2x12 cabs. But that is another thread and story in itself.
Cheers,
Mr. BEAR
dukeplaysbass
Supporting Member
